The California desert's answer to both Paris and Las Vegas is The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, and it is truly fabulous. It is produced with all the spectacle and technical expertise one would expect from a first-class, professional show. This "Follies" is, shall we say, a wee bit different from the offerings in Las Vegas and Paris. The beautiful, leggy, and talented chorines are, shall we say, seasoned pros. The kid in the group is Jill Gordon, 58, with Beverly Allen the matriarch at a mere 84. They are, without exception, excellent in Joan Palethorpe's and Robert Duran's dance routines.
A "Follies" would not be complete without some good, ol'-fashioned vaudeville acts. Mike and Pascale Sanger bring on comedy routines dating back before you were born with their canine comedy. Out of the wings, fresh from the `20s come the banjo styling of Bud and Jim Mercer, young at 86 and 88. Finally, impressionist Babe Pier brings back some voices from the past (his Tom Jones proves a special treat). Star Anna Maria Alberghetti showers the audience with some old favorites and fond memories. Her voice, while not as forceful as it once was, is bell-clear, well modulated, and euphonic to the ears.
Opening and closing the show, as well as bridging the scenes, is a man with a fast quip: irreverent emcee/comedian/producer Riff Markowitz. He can work an audience with gusto, turning this 800+ seat theater into his personal living room. Before the show, Markowitz, in full make-up, is in the lobby directing us to the balcony stairwell. He combines topical humor with jibes that require a bit of age to relate to. Any audience member under 60 is suspect and may become a victim of his wit. Those over 60 are also fair game.
This year's "Follies" theme is New York City and features music and settings in a night club and Grand Central Station, complete with train engine. "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody" caps the fantastic costume parade. Bobby Troupe's "Route 66" opens Act Two, marking the 75th anniversary of the highway that connected Chicago to Santa Monica. For the holidays, Act Two's finale "Christmas in Folliesland," offers a host of favorite tunes. Opening January 9, 2002 will be a visit to New York's Coney Island, with side trips to The Bowery, steel pier dance halls and romance found only in The Big Apple.
"Stars and Stripes Forever," a medley of patriotic songs of several periods, brings the show to a rousing close. (At the performance I attended, Judy Bell and Inga Neilsen's rendition of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "God Bless America" received a standing ovation.)
The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies has something for everyone. The music has been around longer than many of us -- no rap here. Some of the routines easily find their heritage in vaudeville, but their humor is both ageless and current. The production has all the glitz of a Vegas production, with boundless special effects. Dave Hall and Stephanie Weiss' lighting prove ieal for the production, while sound designer Steve Weiss gives the production aural pizzazz. David Mitchell's sets are both spectacular and practical.
The cast, incidentally, performs up to nine shows a week. On the amusing side, I noted in the program a listing of a medical support staff of nine. Also, a listing for Supervising Mother, Edith Markowitz.
